Greenspan hit with unusually tough criticism

Seattle Times ^ | 03/05/05 | Kevin G. Hall

[Pikamax]

Greenspan hit with unusually tough criticism

By Kevin G. Hall Knight Ridder Newspapers

WASHINGTON — Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan came under political fire this week as never before in his 18-year career.

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., on Thursday called the central-bank chief "one of the biggest political hacks we have in Washington." Reid charged that Greenspan had called for fiscal discipline when Democrats ran Washington but is more tolerant of the debt run up by President Bush, a fellow Republican.

The New York Times editorial page jabbed Greenspan yesterday for what it called "his familiar act of fealty to Mr. Bush: a vague endorsement of private accounts for Social Security." On the opposite page, Princeton economist and Times columnist Paul Krugman called Greenspan deceitful in his partisanship. Washington Post cartoonist Tom Toles mocked Greenspan as a Bush stooge.

Internet blogs also were buzzing yesterday; for example, The Daily Kos, which offers "political analysis and daily rant," issued a call to "unleash the blogosphere" to dig up dirt on "St. Alan."

[need_a_screen_name]

The Rats are getting desperate.

[Dog Gone]

How dare Alan endorse anything that Bush proposes! Off with his head.

[reformedliberal]

There go some more moderate, rational people who used to vote Democrat.

Note the only thing they are po'd about is that he supports the POTUS and told the economic truth about SS.

[BurbankKarl]

Harry Reid calling anyone a political hack is ridiculous.

[MikeHu]

When Greenspan was supporting Clinton, he was the "most brilliant thinker of all time."

Now that he's supporting Bush, "he's a hack."

Even the New York Times doesn't seem to believe anybody reads their paper anymore -- so they can write with complete impunity from one article to the next.

[WVNan]

I distinctly recall it being reported at the beginning of the Bush administration that Greenspan hated the Bushes and would try to sabotage Dubya's policies.

[narses]

Ping.

[Tax Government]

Democrats created the monstrosity known as the Federal Reserve. What politician has the cojones to say the government is now in permanent default on its obligation to maintain a gold-based currency, not a fiat currency?

[MikeHu]

Mrs. Greenspan, for sure.

"Hate" is too strong an emotion for Mr. Greenspan; some would say he doesn't have a strong emotion in his body. He's not exactly an inspiring speaker, even if he were to lead an insurrection; everybody would be standing around after his call to battle, debating what he said -- and even more excitedly, what he didn't say.

[vaudine]

Wasn't Reid loking in the mirror when he said "one of the biggest political hacks..." ???

vaudine

[Pharmboy]

Maybe this will finally get his wife--Andrea Mitchell--to kick some demonrat *ss.

[Judith Anne]

Yes, now that Mr. Greenspan supports SS reform and the National Retail Sales Tax, Democrats have realized that they hated him all along. /sarc

[MikeHu]

But that look of hate is permanently affixed on their faces now -- whether they realize it or not.

It's not very becoming. But there is a permanent sneer and hate contorting their faces into expressions we've never witnessed before. That'sThat Look on Al Gore's face. Or Ward Churchill's. There's such a hatred and disgust for everything they are and want everybody to feel that way too.

The sad thing is that it resonates with all those others with such loathing for themselves and everything they are. Among healthy people, it has no power.

That's the destructiveness of negative conditioning to motivate: you have to become "somebody" because you're nothing without the Democratic party's approbation.

[Eva]

I missed this article and am sure that many other posters did also. I guess this is the pay back that Greenspan gets for doing his job and telling the truth about social security. The purely partisan nature of the attacks are so obvious that it can only hurt the Democrats and the call to dig up dirt on Greenspan is despicable, but not surprising, considering the source. I wonder how Andrea Mitchell feels about it.

[colorado tanker]

It's interesting that the Dims are pandering to their left wing base and feel the need to consolidate that. Here in Colorado the Dims just threw overboard a sane liberal for a fringe guy as state chairman, despite a strong showing in local races here in 2004.

[Always Right]

Greenspan probably contributed more to the Defeat of George Bush more than any other person. I don't agree with Greenspan on everything, but he is very intelligent and is a staight shooter.